Sterilizing tray for hypodermic needles and the like



May 31, 1949. A, J, SON

STERILIZING TRAY FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov 30 1946 IN VEN TOR.

M J W 0 m M A H TTOR NEYS' Patented May 31, 1949 STERILIZING TRAY FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND THE LIKE Anthony J Son, Boston, Mass., assignor to Sonco,

Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,211

Claims.

My present invention relates to a tray adapted to support a plurality of hypodermic needles, re gardless of the size and shape of their hubs, so that they may either be disposed fiat for convenience in packaging or carrying them or disposed in an upright position when they are to be sterilized or one of them removed for use.

As the hub of hypodermic needles are made in various sizes and shapes, it is desirable to have a container in which needles having different types of hubs could be firmly supported. This is particularly true where the container is a sterilizer as in that case there may Well be hubs of several widely differing sizes and shapes among the needles to be sterilized together. While a tray in accordance with my invention may be made solely for use in packaging hypodermic needles or in sterilizing them, in its preferred embodiment, it is adapted for both uses to provide maximum convenience in carrying them and in preparing them for use.

In accordance with my invention, such a tray comprises a base and at least one member hinged thereto. Because a hub, regardless of its size and shape, has a bore to receive the conventional barrel tip, I provide the member with a plurality of spaced fingers, the extremities or heads of which are adapted to enter the hubs and to provide firm support for the thus held needles. In addition, I provide the tray with an upwardly disposed tab in alinement with each finger to support the cannula of a needle mounted on the member when the member is so positioned that the needles are parallel to the base. For convenience, I provide each member with an operating arm and prefer that the hinge means connecting each member to the base be such that the member is held resiliently in either its upright or fiat position. Where the base carries a member adjacent each of its ends, I prefer to so space the fingers of one member relative to the fingers of the other member that the cannula of a needle supported by one of them may extend forwardly between two cannulae of needles supported on the other member.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown an illustrative embodiment of my invention from which these and other of its novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tray in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a section thorugh the tray along the lines 22 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, my tray comprises a base 5 having upwardly disposed sides 6. The blank from which the tray is formed has each of its end portions cut away as at l to provide tabs 8, 9, and ID. The extremities of the tabs 8 and 9 are bent upwardly to establish end wall sections of the same height as the sides 6, while the tabs 10 extend upwardly and forwardly so that they and the tabs 8 and 9 form a keeper for the member H hingedly connecting it to the base 5. Preferably, one of the tabs 8, at each end of the base, has an aperture I2 to provide an upwardly disposed lip l3 constituting part of the keeper.

Each of the members H is preferably of resilient stock and L-shaped in cros section and has an arm I land a plurality of spaced fingers l5. The end of each finger is bent back to establish a resilient head l6 adapted to enter the bore ll of a needle hub l8 to firmly connect it to the member II. The arm 14 of each of the members H is substantially longer than the fingers l5 and is preferably located at one side of the tray to render it readily accessible when it is desired to so turn a member H as to raise the needles supported thereon into a substantially upright position or to position them fiat in the tray. While any type of hinge means may be used to connect the members H to the base 5, I prefer that it be such as to resiliently hold the member in either of its positions.

I also form from the base a plurality of upwardly disposed tabs I9. Each of these alines with one of the fingers l5 and is spaced therefrom a distance greater than the maximum length of a needle hub and each is preferably notched as at 20 to support a cannula 2|.

Where, as shown in the drawings, a tray 5 has a member II at both of its ends, I prefer to so space the fingers I5 of one of the members I I that they do not aline with the finger l5 of the other member so that the cannula of a hub on one of the members ll may extend between a pair of cannulae, the hubs of Which are supported on the other member I I.

My trays are simple and inexpensive to manufacture and may be employed to firmly support needles when packaged or carried and at the same time affords the user maximum convenience when the needles are to be sterilized for use regardless of the size and shape of their hubs.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sterilizing tray for hypodermic needles having their hubs formed each with a tip receiving bore, said tray comprising a base, a member including an arm and a plurality of fingers spaced substantially in parallel therewith, each of said fingers terminating in a bore entering head to detachably connect a needle hub to said member, and hinge means connecting said member to said tray 50 that the needles on said member may be moved by said arm from a position in Ihichthegare in a plane substantially in parallel with sa d base to a position substantially perpendicular thereto.

2. The tray of claim 1 in the hinge, means resiliently locks the member in either pnsie. tion.

3. The tray of claim 1 in which the base a plurality of supports spaced iirom; the hinge. means, each of which is alined with one of the fingers and has a recess to. submit, 8 cannula, when the member is in the first named position.

4, The tray of claim 1 in which each finger. is of resilient stock having its extremity disposed upwardly and. earwardiyto establish a. r ilient. boreenter ne h ad.

5- A. steriliz ng t ail r hypodermic needles; bar t eir hu s termed each with. a tip re ma b e. sa d tray omprising. a. base, a, pair at members ea incl ding; an. armand a. p urality oi: fin ers seabed substantial y n. par llel therew th e ch. of said fin er term ating in. a. o e ent r n h ad o detachably conn ct a. needle. hub to suchfln en hi e-me ns connectin said members; to oppos te ends f: said trayso. that the ne dles on ach; of. said; members m y: be moved y ts m it m a. n si-tiari. in. winch they are n a. plane para le to said base into. a Bas l ca. n the. needles are substantia l neraeniiibulartberet i the fingers ofeither of said member b ing spaced-1 in of set. relation to; the n e s; o the other o s id m mbers,

6: A. sterilizing ray to: bybodeamic needles: hav n t irubs,- rme i th:v ip. receiving; bores, said traycomprising; a. membea including; an. rm: a nl laali x oi: snacedfinsensi disp se a allel; w th said am. and each includin a ore en er n tin to. resilient y.- cka ne d e o said member. nd: a. base a ing mane-ma tabs embra ng; a part at said mem er. some oi which.

extend. n ardly and; than forwardly; and. othersv of which extend forwardly and then upwardly to pivotally connect said member to said base for movement between a position in which said needles are substantially perpendicular to said base and a position in which they lie in a plane substantially parallel thereto.

'72, The tray of claim 6 in which the base has a plurality ofupwardly disposed cannula supporting tabs each of which is in alinement with one oi: the fingers and is spaced therefrom a distance greater; than the maximum length of a hub, and the. arm is, atone end of the member and is of a length substantially greater than that of the fingers.

8.. The tray of claim 6 in which the tabs are separated from each other by apertures.

9. A sterilizing, tray for hypodermic needles having their hubs formed with tip receiving 1201165,.5811d tray comprising a member including an arm and a plurality of spaced fingers disposed in parallel. with. s id am, and each i h-i i t. a bore entering tip, constructed to resiliently lock. aneedle to. said member, and a base havingsides; and marginal tabs embracing. a part of said memher; some of which extend upwardly and. then iorwardly and others of which extend f rwardl-i and then upwardly to establish, end. wall sections. and to pivotally. connect saidmember to said base for movement between anosition in which said: needles. are substantially perpendicular to said baseand a position in which they lie.- in a plane substantially parallel thereto,

10.. The tray of. claim. 9 in. which thememberis L,-shaped in section and the; marginal. tabs.- establish a. substantially rectangular keeper resiliently holding the, member in either of its; positions.

ANTHONY J. SON.

REFERENCES CITED.

UNII'ED STATES EA'IENIIIS Name Date Dickenson' eta1 Nov. 1, 1938 

